At Clearwater Lake
We camped, paddled, and hiked at the end of the road in Wells Gray Provincial Park, taking some photos as we explored. A few plants we encountered are shared here.
In the hemlock – cedar – birch forests we spotted wild sasparilla (Aralia nudiculis) with the leaves turning color with the approach of fall. They have woody stems growing from rhizomes and patches are often clones.
Throughout the area northern bunchberry (Cornus canadensis) was still green, now with bunches of red berries. They also have a woody base and spread by rhizomes.
Various fungi were spotted along the routes we hiked including these shaggy manes (Coprinus comatu). As they age, they turn black and “dissolve” once the spores are dispersed. They are edible if eaten in early stages and right away (they don’t store well).
Most of the hiking areas were forested, but there were a few flowers in the open spots. Under the evergreen overstory were many mosses, clubmosses, lichens, and fungi. Click an image for a lightbox view and a caption.
Growing in the rocks near a waterfall spray zone was parsley fern (Cryptogramma acrostichoides).
Growing in the forest detritus was rattlenake plantain (Goodyera oblongifolia). It is an evergreen perennial in the orchid family that grows from rhizomes. It blooms in summer with small white-green clustered flowers.
False solomon’s-seal (Smilacena racemosa) was abundant in the forest and round red berries were spotted. The berries were eaten by First Nations people.
We hiked up onto the Dragon’s tongue, a recent lava flow that dammed Clearwater Lake. On the exposed basalt facets were several types of crustose lichens, most in the Xanthorioideae sub-family.
And, on the ridges above the lake we enjoyed seeing witch’s hair lichens (Alectoria sarmentosa) on the hemlock trees.
